Thread:Evil Tim/@comment-6769189-20190501195941/@comment-134861-20190506122438

> How did this topic transformed into debate about canon?

Because Evil Tim tried to dismiss the manga as "external materials" (which still wouldn't be a meaningful rebuttal, unless the publications themselves disputed the claim in the "external materials").

> The series is set up so that you don't need to read any of the external materials to understand the games

You're setting an arbitrary distinction between what's considered "internal" and "external". Using your logic strictly, you might as well state that DMC1, 2, 3, 4 are external materials to DMC5. You're not providing a coherent argument on which works should be excluded from consideration for citation, or why.

> in such a case the only reason to consider there as being some overarching "canon" would be whether or not the creators say there is, as with Rowling's "wizarding world."

They have. The creators have outright said "these publications are part of DMC5's story, in this order". When a work no longer fits with the publications deemed primary, they have said so.

As far as I can find, Rowling herself has never used the word "canon" to describe her material. She just states the material, and it's implicit that it's part of the HP canon.